Thousand Paper Cranes
by Sabrina-nee
Summary: Anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane. 'Please, please grant my wish.' A Be My Princess on-shot. Glenn-MC. MC-Yu (on sided).


**Thousand Paper Cranes**

**Summary:** Anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane. 'Please, please grant my wish.'

**Pairings:** Glenn-MC-Yu

**Rated:** T+

**Disclaimer:** Be My Princess® of Voltage Inc.,

**Warning:** Forgive the wrong grammars, spelling or what not that you may find on any of my story.

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The first time he met her, she was a fragile-looking seven years old girl. Though she's a girl, her dark brown hair was sporting with twigs and small leaves struck in different places, her floral summer dress and her red ballet shoes were soaked with dirty mud.

Yu pulled his ebony eyes from her head to her toes. "You're awfully dirty." he said with matter-of-fact tone and expression.

The little girl blinked her eyes at him, Yu was caught off guard when instead of what he expect from every little girls' reaction (puffing out their cheeks in disdain and such) the little girl instead beamed at him.

"Haha! I know!" she said happily while scratching the back of her brunette head. Using the back of her right palm she attempted to brush off the mud staining her chubby cheek with a smile still plastered on her petite face.

And then she pointed out towards the bushes near them. "_Ano ne_, I was walking down here when a white cat appeared! I wanted to play with it so I followed the cat but it went through the bushes and—,"

Yu quietly listened to her story; she ended her small adventure story with a light laugh. Hearing her laughter increased his fascination towards her. And then something uncharacteristically strong and raw grew inside of him.

"Hey!"

Yu jumped a little when she suddenly popped her face so close in front of him. His face automatically flushed in bright red color realizing the close proximity of their faces. The young boy pulled his head back a little attempting to put a gap between him and the little girl.

"W-what?" he stuttered.

The brunette young girl puffed her cheek; "I said my name is Aoi!" she said and then tilted her head to her side a little, "What's your name?"

He blinked. And blinked once again.

She patiently waited for his answer.

"Yu." he said after seconds of silence. "My name is Yu."

The little girl, Aoi, grinned cheekily at him; light red color bloomed across her chubby cheeks, "Nice to meet you, Yuyu!"

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Since he was new in this town and knew no one around, Aoi become his first friend and his only playmate whenever his parents allowed him to play outside.

One day, Aoi found him crouched down under the cherry blossom tree— their usual meeting place— his face pressed against his knees. Aoi stroke Yu's black hair silently, sensing the sadness coming from the young boy.

"Yuyu, what's wrong?" she asked with her tiny and worried voice.

It took seconds before Yu finally answered Aoi without looking up to her, he said with his forlorn and lifeless voice, "Doctor said Mom is dying."

He heard her gasped. "Yuyu..."

Yu stayed quiet and kept his face buried against his knees. He felt her ran away from him, the little boy peered from his knees and watched Aoi's retreating back. He felt more dejected than before. Why did she left? Didn't she know that he needed a friend now more than ever? Yu disappointedly sighed before burying his face back to his knees.

But several minutes after, he heard footsteps again. Yu pulled his face from his knees and found Aoi sitting in front of him; her tiny legs formed a 'W' shape under her.

"What's that for?" he pointed at the old news paper in front of her.

Aoi beamed and him. "We'll make paper cranes!" she said and started folding the newspaper.

Yu furrowed his eyebrows together, "Why?"

With her eyes still focused on her paper she said, "Mama said that if you fold one thousand paper cranes while thinking about your wish it'll surely come true!"

Yu stared at Aoi while she clumsily folded her first crane but then his heart pounded hard when Aoi started whispering her supposed 'wish'.

"I wish for Yuyu's mama to get better soon so Yuyu will smile again." she said and grinned before lifting her not-so perfect paper crane. "Tadaa~~!" she chirped boasting her handmade crane at Yu.

Something warm brushed Yu's heart.

Her smile instantly disappeared when she saw tears rolling down Yu's cheeks. Her hand slowly dropped onto her side as tears started to form on her own brown eyes. "Don't you... Don't you like making paper cranes, Yuyu?" she gloomily dropped her shoulders.

Yu blinked his eyes when he finally realized his own tears staining his cheeks. He hastily wiped the tears off his eyes using his forearm and smiled warmly at the sniffing little girl.

"Sorry, I'm just happy." he said.

"Happy?"

Yu nodded and wiped the tears from her cheeks using his thumb. "Yes, very happy."

Aoi stared at his own onyx eyes, as if making sure he was telling the truth, before her lips formed that big smile again.

Yu grabbed some newspaper from her and started folding his own crane. "One thousand is too much for you. Let me help." he said.

Aoi laughed and nodded, "Okay!"

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Everyday they will meet under the cheery blossom tree and spend their time happily chatting while folding the papers they had collected into the famous origami.

But several days later, his mother who was suffering from terminal illness, passed away. Relatives from both of his parents' side arrived and offered their condolences to him and to his grieving father.

Some of them was wearing fancy clothes especially his relatives from his father's side, Yu was sure that they belonged to a very high class or noble family with the way they elegantly move wearing their expensive dresses.

His father introduced a man and a woman to him as his Uncle and Aunt. A young boy, younger than Yu, was hiding behind his mother.

"This is Glenn." his Aunt said patting his son's, Glenn, head. "Why don't you two play outside hmm?"

Yu hesitantly held his hand towards Glenn. The young boy stared at his small hand before grabbing it, allowing Yu to guide him outside the house.

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"Yu, why are we here?" Glenn asked while he stood under the cherry blossom tree.

Yu merely smiled, "I'm waiting for someone." he said before he blinked his eyes as if remembering something. "I forgot the box." he muttered. Yu whipped his head to young Glenn and said, "Stay here and wait for a little girl named Aoi. I'll just go and get the box." he said before sprinting back to his house.

Glenn lifted his hand to Yu in attempt to stop him, "W-wait!" but Yu disappeared from his sight already.

_'Aoi? Who's that?'_ Glenn tilted his head to his side when he heard a crying sound behind him.

Glenn blinked his eyes and followed the sound, few meters from the cherry blossom tree was a very shallow river. Glenn found a little girl standing at the bank of the river, with her small fisted hand pressed against her eyes.

Glenn cautiously approached the crying girl. "Hey," he slowly called out not wanting to scare the girl.

Aoi lifted her damped eyes to Glenn and stared at him for a moment. "W-who are you? You're not Yuyu." she said in between her hiccups.

_'Yuyu?'_ "Err do you mean Yu? He's my cousin." he said, "So are you Aoi?"

Aoi hesitantly nodded her head.

"Why are you crying? Has something happened?"

Tears welled out from Aoi's eyes again before pointing her finger to the river near her. "My shoe..." she said.

Glenn glanced down and finally noticed that she's indeed missing one shoe. Glenn stepped closer to the stream and saw her red ballet shoe sunk under the flowing water.

"That's my favorite shoe." she whispered with trembling voice. "Mama gave it to me."

Glenn pondered for a moment before taking off his shoes and socks. He bent down to fold up his pants high enough not to soak it with water.

"I'll get it just stay there okay?" he said and started walking towards the river. The little girl nodded her head and watched Glenn as he tried to retrieve her shoe.

Good thing the river was shallow, not even reaching the young boy's knees, and the flow of the water was not strong as well, so Glenn was able to grab the shoe without any problem.

"Here," Glenn kneeled in front of Aoi to put the shoe back to her right foot. "Don't drop the shoe again okay?"

Aoi giggled while looking down at Glenn, "Okay!" she chirped. "You're like a prince."

Glenn twitched and froze for a second before straightening his legs again. "P-Prince...? Well..." He darted his bright brown eyes everywhere obviously avoiding an eye contact with the little girl.

"I like you." Aoi suddenly declared making Glenn snapped his head back to her. Glenn's eyes were greeted with wide smile making him blush furiously.

"Wha—,"

"Glenn!" a very worried looking Yu was running towards Glenn and Aoi. "I was so worried! You disappeared all of a sudden and—,"

"Yuyu!" Aoi squealed happily and ran towards Yu, peering inside the box held inside the boy's arms.

Yu's face brightened up the instant his eyes saw Aoi. "Hi, Aoi." he greeted.

Glenn on the other hand creased his forehead; he doesn't like this lingering feeling of irritation forming inside his chest whilst he watched Aoi and Yu exchanged a wide smile with each other.

Aoi's eyes widen in surprise while looking inside the box. "Wow Yuyu! You made lots of cranes now!" she cooed, amazed at his handy work.

Yu smiled brightly, even brighter as before if that is even possible.

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Every time Glenn's family visit Yu's mother's burial, the two of them always snuck out of the house and meet up with Aoi under the cherry blossom tree.

The three of them become playmates and most of the time spend hours helping Yu fold paper cranes. Now they have 197 paper cranes. It'll be 200 now since the three of them folding the last three paper cranes for today.

"Hey," Glenn stared at his own handy work. "Why are we folding these cranes again?"

Aoi looked up at Glenn, "Silly, of course it's because... It's because... Uhmm..." she tilted her head to her side in confusion before dragging her brown eyes to Yu who was quietly finishing his own crane. "Yuyu..." she silently inquired.

That's right originally they started making paper cranes in hope to grant Yu's wish, a wish to make his mother get better soon. Come to think of it, it's now useless to continue making origami now that his mother passed away already.

Aoi stared at him, waiting for his response; Yu looked up and beamed at her. "I've got another wish, will you help me make it come true?" he asked.

Aoi's eyes twinkled in happiness and eagerly nodded her head. "Okay!" she chirped and handed her last paper crane.

Glenn frowned, "Wish?"

"Ano ne, Mama said when you make thousand paper cranes while saying your wish, it'll come true!"

Glenn snorted, done with his own crane, "I don't get it." he said, seemingly irritated at something.

Yu's lips formed a small smile and turned his attention back to his own paper crane. _'Please grant my wish.'_ he whispered before glancing Aoi who was sitting on his right.

Sadness crossed his black eyes seeing Aoi happily chatting with the irritated-looking Glenn. Her eyes were unexpectedly twinkling. Something crushed his heart, painfully.

_'Please. Please grant my wish.'_

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One day after his mother was finally buried; his father announced that they will be leaving this town. Yu protested against it with all his might.

"I don't want to leave this place!"

"Why not?" his father knelt before him and placed his hands over his son's shoulders, "Listen, Yu, we'll be living in much more comfortable and bigger place than this. You will be able to eat delicious foods, buy every toy you wanted. You can even go to proper private school—,"

Yu glared at his father, "No!" Yu exclaimed cutting his father's words. "I don't want any foods other than what Mama cooked for me before! I don't want toys or private school! I don't want to leave this place!"

His father gave him an exasperated sigh. "It's because of that little girl right? You don't want to leave that little girl, don't you?"

Yu twitched a little but still remained glaring at his father.

"You are forbidden to meet that girl anymore you hear me?" his father sternly said before standing up.

Yu gasped in disbelief before tears started to flow down his cheeks. "No! You can't make me!"

Yu's father gave her a warning look, "Dare me."

Yu's lower lips trembled before running out of the house. He refused to listen to his father while the latter was yelling out his name. The little boy ignored the pattering of the rain that slowly soaking him whilst he ran down the familiar road.

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"Oh my Yu-kun, y-you'll catch a cold like that!" Aoi's mother hastily grabbed Yu and wrapped the little boy with a towel.

Yu was sipping a cup of hot chocolate that Aoi's mother handed him. "W-where's Aoi?"

Aoi's mother's eyes saddened at his question. Yu, in return, creased his forehead.

"Well, Aoi's in the hospital with her father now." Yu's eyes grew wider. "She was having a high fever and then collapsed outside. She said she wanted to say goodbye to your cousin, Glenn-kun, even though I told her to stay in bed."

Yu stared at his cup of hot chocolate, _'Aoi...'_

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"Yuyu..." Aoi perked up a little the moment Yu opened the sliding door of her hospital room. She automatically sat up and waited for him to stand next to her bed.

He was carrying a box filled with 206 paper cranes. Yu placed the box onto the bed side table and took the space beside Aoi.

"How are you feeling?"

Aoi grinned at him, "Better." And then she puffed her cheeks suddenly, "I already told Mama and Papa that I'm feeling okay now. I wanna go home." she whined quietly earning a small smile from Yu.

"Aoi..." Yu started hesitantly. "Listen, I... I'm going somewhere today and I'll bring the paper cranes with me."

Aoi's eyes saddened, "You're leaving me?"

"I'll come back, one day, I promise!"

Yu immediately said seeing Aoi was about to cry. It'll be harder for him to leave if she starts crying now. He doesn't want to leave. He wanted to stay here with Aoi. Forever.

Aoi was sniffing, "A-are you still going to continue fold paper cranes?"

Yu nodded automatically, "Of course. I'll fold cranes along with Glenn and—,"

"Glenn?" she repeated, clearly confused. "Who's that?"

Shock, Yu froze for a moment, "Glenn...? My cousin, he's our playmate before. Don't you remember him?"

Aoi slowly shook her head, there's no a hint of dishonesty on her brown eyes.  
_  
__'She had forgotten about Glenn...?'_

Yu, even though there's a slight hint of guilt and sadness rose inside him, sighed in relief, "Never mind. I'll continue folding paper cranes on my own." he said before patting Aoi's head.

Yu left the hospital, leaving a crying Aoi along with his promise to return to meet her again one day. He brought along 210 paper cranes, Aoi folded 4 more cranes to add to his collection along with her wish for him to always remember her.

Yu humorlessly laughed. Honestly she doesn't need to fold four cranes to grant her wish for it would be impossible for him to forget about his first love.

Yu looked down the small box. _'790 paper cranes more to go huh?'_

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_'Please, please grant my wish.'_

Yu folded his 572nd paper crane one night. He used to fold 10 paper cranes every night but as time goes by his 10 cranes melted to 8 then to 5 and finally he only folded 3 cranes every day.

Yu sighed, looking tired. He dropped the paper crane inside the box he kept under his bed. The box was larger than the box he used before.

His mind drifted back to Aoi while staring at the uneven paper crane mixed among the other cranes. It's definitely Aoi's hand work. His lips formed a wide smile whilst remembering his first love's bright smile. His feelings for her remained strong despite the years that had passed.

A light knock interrupted his thoughts. "Yu, about the dress I'll be wearing—," Prince Glenn blinked his eyes at the box on Yu's lap. His eyes narrowed slightly and gave Yu a suspicious look. "You're still folding paper cranes up until now?"

Yu looked down at the paper cranes and then shrugged his shoulders. "It's just a hobby." he said before standing up and placing the box back under his bed.

"A hobby?" Prince Glenn repeated, his voice trailing off. "...wish."

Yu looked up to the young Prince. "What?"

Prince Glenn stared at Yu with hard expression. "What are you wishing for? Aoi once said that if you folded up 1000 paper cranes your wish will be granted."

Yu froze for a moment, staring at Prince Glenn but the steward's raven eyes twinkled distantly. _'Wish...?'_

"I..." Yu's voice trailed over before his unstable gaze hardened against Prince Glenn's stare. "I wish for her to love me back..."

Prince Glenn was momentarily taken aback by Yu's answer before his glare deepened. The young Prince parted his lips to mutter something but then he snapped his lips back together before shaking his head furiously.

"I won't give her to you." Prince Glenn said with determined expression on his handsome face.

Yu stared evenly at Prince Glenn, "I'll fight for my own feelings."

Prince Glenn broke off their staring contest by clicking his tongue and slammed Yu's door harshly. Yu guiltily sat back on his chair, he propped his elbow onto his desk before exhaustedly rubbed his palms against his face.

_'Aoi...'_

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Several years passed.

They met again. The three of them. Finally.

She was escorted by Prince Edward of Charles Kingdom as his date for Lord Nobel Michel's 100th birthday party. She looked gorgeous with her red dress— probably given by Prince Edward— and Yu was beyond happy of finally seeing her after all these years.

He had become Prince Glenn's personal steward and so he was unable to return to their hometown to visit her even if he wanted to.

Yu, despite the years that had passed, immediately recognized her behind those make ups, jewelries and expensive dress she was wearing.

And he knew that Prince Glenn recognized her as well. If not then why would he acted irritated whenever Prince Roberto tried to flirt with her, or whenever Prince Edward tried to sway her with his sweet words, or when any of the princes tried to ask her to dance with them?

Prince Glenn pulled her away from the princes by forcing her to dance with him. Yu watched everything in the side line, nursing his wounded heart. He wanted to dance with her as well, hug her right there and then but he wouldn't want to cause a scene and to disrupt Lord Nobel's party.

But there's something wrong with her. There's no recognition or whatsoever appeared on her brown eyes the moment she saw Prince Glenn, and Yu was sure that Prince Glenn is inwardly hurting because of it.

_"Glenn?" a voice echoed at the back of Yu's head. "Who's that?"_

_'Oh yeah, she had forgotten about Prince Glenn before.'_

Maybe, just maybe. He still has a chance to make her love him. An unsure smile spread across his lips.

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He was glad when she agreed to live in the palace as per Prince Allan's, Prince Glenn's little brother, request. It appears to be Prince Allan enjoyed Aoi's company and wanted to have more of her attention. Aoi reluctantly agreed under Prince Allan's pleading look.

That night, after making sure that she's comfortable enough and had prepared everything that she needed, Yu spent hours folding paper cranes. Past midnight when he took noticed of the time, Yu looked at the table and stared at the twenty more paper cranes he had folded.

He smiled lightly. _'Please, please grant my wish.'_ he whispered again and again before carefully putting the cranes inside the box.

572 plus 20.

592.

Still needed 408. "Almost there." He murmured.

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It was her seventh day living in the palace as Prince Allan's babysitter. And Yu had already folded exactly 700 cranes by then.

Nothing had changed between them and she was still the same cheery Aoi he had once known.

And as days passed by, despite spending almost all of his time with her helping to tend the youngest Prince of the Oriens Kingdom, he's starting to be more aware of her reaction whenever Prince Glenn is around.

She'll automatically blush hard whenever Prince Glenn praised her, she sighed sadly whenever Prince Glenn snapped and acted irritated at something (mostly out of jealousy towards him or any other men trying to talk to her) and she smiled brightly more than ever whenever she got the chance to spend time alone with Prince Glenn.

Slowly, her memories from the past returned bit by bit. And her feelings toward Prince Glenn only strengthened as time goes by.

Yu placed the 722nd paper cranes inside the box. _'Why am I still continuing to make cranes?'_

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"Prince Glenn said that you're still folding paper cranes up until now."

Yu's hand froze in the middle of pouring Aoi's afternoon tea but then he looked at her slowly armed with his perpetual smile. "I was but I already stop doing it," He answered politely like always.

"Oh."

It was downright lie but who cares?

Silence perched between them.

"When... Did you stop folding?" she asked once again, sounding cautious.

Aoi looked up at him, "Yuyu?"

Yu blinked twice then he said, "The moment I saw you in Nobel Michel's castle," and then gazed intensely right at Aoi's brown eyes.

He didn't stop from staring at her. If only she could see the truth behind his white lie. He wanted to say the truth. But he cannot.

He should not.

She's in love with Prince Glenn now.

Heck. Even before.

She will never love him back.

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Days passed by so quickly. Prince Glenn and Aoi's feelings developed before Yu's eyes. He witnessed how Prince Glenn fought his love for Aoi. He was there when Aoi cried her heart out when the King forcedly ordered her to leave the palace.

Yu wanted to grab the opportunity to elope with Aoi despite the fact the she will never look at him the way she looked at Prince Glenn. He promised to protect her the day she accepted her position as temporary baby sitter of Prince Allan but he realized that he failed. He failed big time.

Yu watched their bond with each other grew steadily and stronger.

Her wide smile kept on playing before him. She's happy. Happier than ever before. The King had finally accepted Prince Glenn's relationship with Aoi.

Watching everything play before his very eyes sliced his heart into tiny pieces. It hurts. It hurts to see her cried over Prince Glenn. It hurts to see her smiled brightly whenever she sees Prince Glenn. It hurts to see her looking at other man with those loving eyes.

_'Please cry for me as well.'_

_'Please smile for me as well.'_

_'Please love me as well.'_

Three days after that, Yu was folding his 989th paper cranes.

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The day after officially announcing her engagement with the eldest Prince of the Oriens Kingdom, Yu folded his 999th paper crane.

"One more till 1000th..."

Yu melancholically stared at his box full of paper cranes. He recalled the first time he met her.

Her bright smile appeared before him.

As if an invisible hand gripped over his heart. Yu then clenched his jaw tightly feeling the unbearable pain inside his chest, particularly over his heart.

Yu wanted to make the very last paper crane but instead he convinced himself to fold the last piece tomorrow. Under the cherry blossom tree where everything had started.

He already asked His Highnesses' permission to take a day off tomorrow. Yu placed the box onto his desk, placing one piece of paper inside for his last paper crane.

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He was alone under the beautiful pink tree. Being in here, nostalgia rose inside Yu's chest. His eyes dropped down at the box next to his feet.

The last piece.

Yu crouched down the ground and started folding the last paper crane with forlorn expression adorning his handsome face. Several minutes later, Yu stared at the last crane pensively.

"The very last," He muttered lifelessly.

Yu slowly put the crane inside the box among the others. He had finally collected, with some help from Aoi and Prince Glenn, the 1000 paper cranes.

Yu sighed deeply, "The end." he whispered gloomily.

_'Mama said that if you fold one thousand paper cranes while thinking about your wish it will surely come true!'_

"Wish..." he muttered quietly. _'I hope my last wish will come true.'_

_"It's just a hobby."_

_"What are you wishing for? Aoi once said that if you folded up 1000 paper cranes your wish will be granted."_

_"I wish for her to love me back..."_

_"I won't give her to you."_

_"I'll fight for my own feelings."_

Yu chuckled at his own words. "I could never win against you. Not now. Not ever." he whispered to himself, letting the tears rolled over his cheeks, finally letting out the feelings trapped inside his chest.

He let his emotions welled out off him while staring at the box full of paper cranes. He formed a forlorn smile while letting his finger tips graced at the paper cranes inside the box.

"It's time to let go." he whispered dejectedly.

He stood up and left.

_'Please, please grant my final wish.'_

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_'Please let her be the happiest woman, forever.'_

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**Sabrina-chan's Musing Corner:** I wanted to apologize for all the readers waiting for my update. Unfortunately I am temporarily on hiatus. Currently I'm working in Middle East and my work is preventing me from updating; not to mention since I am working overseas I did not bring my portable hard drive with me because I don't even know if they will allowed me to bring it to the airport, my HD have all my unedited stories.

Anyways I don't know when will I update my stories but I will try my best to write some one shots in compensation for my lack of update. I'm still (thankfully) updated when it comes to FT's story, in manga that is. Sad to say the anime version of FA is also on Hiatus (they said it's because the anime version is catching up in manga FA and some says it's because of a scandal relating to Aya Hirano, Lucy's VA) but according to Mashima it's only temporary hiatus and FA anime will be back on air again but the schedule is still indefinite.

Sigh. Excuse me from ranting… I thought that I was physically and emotionally ready to work outside my comfort zone but I realized after my one week here in Middle East that I was dead wrong. I missed Philippines. I missed my family. I missed writing in FFN T_T. I was always mentally exhausted and physically dead tired after duty. There's no point in complaining now, but big bro quoted this once 'ginusto mo yan ehh' (that's what you want). And oh yeah if you are not familiar with the otome game named **'Be My Princess'** you can watch the fan made video in u-tube just search **'Be My Princess Glenn Main Story'** just so you can follow my latest One Shot. Otome games are my one and only salvation while trying to survive my one year life in Middle East, away from my family T_T. Gawd I wanted to go back! Sigh.


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